State’s sod farms manage cold, wet and then hot, dry

Written by Tunica Times
Thursday, 02 September 2010 14:59

The lingering recession continues to impact Mississippi’s turfgrass industry with total sod acreage down as a portion has been switched to row crop production until the economy improves.Wayne Wells, Mississippi State University Extension Service turf specialist, said the state has about 4,500 acres of turf and about 50 sod producers. The largest producers each have about 300 to 500 acres of turf production.“Sod production hinges on construction, so with new home sales at their slowest since 1963, our sales are down some, too,” Wells said. “Many of our larger sod producers have some diversity in their farming operations, and when they saw home construction slowing, they put some of their acreage into soybeans and corn.”